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Maddux, Glavine, Thomas, Biggio could gain Hall

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Modified: January 8, 2014 at 9:20 am •
Published: January 8, 2014

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NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball writers could elect a quartet of players to the Hall of Fame for the first time in more than a half-century.

Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas appeared to be on track to gain election from the Baseball Writers' Association of America on Wednesday, and Craig Biggio could join them. The last time four players received the required 75 percent was in 1955, when Joe DiMaggio, Gabby Hartnett, Ted Lyons and Dazzy Vance all got in. Surprisingly, it was the third ballot appearance for DiMaggio, who fell 81 votes short in 1953 and 14 shy the following year.

FILE - In this March 1, 2008, file photo, Atlanta Braves pitcher Tom Glavine throws a pitch against the Houston Astros during the second inning of a Grapefruit League spring training baseball game in Kissimmee, Fla. Mad Dog and Glav were fixtures in the Atlanta Braves rotation for years, and now they await word on another possible honor that will keep them together: induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

When he announced his retirement in December 2008, Maddux wouldn't talk about the Hall.

"I think there's a lot of good players in there," he said. "Don't really have any thoughts on it."

Maddux could break the mark for highest percentage (98.84), set when in 1992 when Tom Seaver topped the record Ty Cobb set in 1936.

"I just have just never come across any human being, whether they're a voter or just a fan, that doesn't think Greg Maddux is a Hall of Famer and one of the greatest pitchers who ever pitched," The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo said Tuesday. "I can't imagine someone not voting for him. So I would guess that he's going to break Seaver's record."

Maddux is among three high-profile players on the BBWAA ballot for the first time, joined by his former Atlanta teammate Glavine and Thomas. Holdovers include Biggio, who topped voting at 68 percent last year, 39 votes short of the 75 percent needed for election. It was only the second time in four decades the BBWAA failed to elect anyone.

Ken Gurnick of MLB.com, a former reporter for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, said Tuesday the only player he voted for was Jack Morris, on the writers' ballot for the 15th and final time after falling 42 votes shy last year.

"To me, I didn't exclude Maddux. I excluded everybody from that era, everybody from the Steroid Era," Gurnick said. "It wasn't about Greg Maddux, it was about the entire era. I just don't know who did and who didn't."

Gurnick said Morris also was the only player he voted for in 2013 and added he intends to abstain in future elections.

"Some people quibble over when the era starts, but the bulk of his career was in my opinion well before all of the widespread use of performance-enhancing drugs," Gurnick said.

Given that 569 ballots were submitted in 2013, Maddux likely could be omitted from six this year and still break the record set by Seaver, who received 425 of 430 votes.